MCA’s Board of Directors passed a resolution at its January 6, 2021 meeting addressing Fairfax County’s current efforts to modernize its Zoning Ordinance (known as the “zMOD” initiative). Since its origin in 1978, the Zoning Ordinance has regulated how residential and commercial property in Fairfax County can be used and what can be built on property in the County. Modernization efforts began in 2017 and proposed amendments to the ordinance were presented to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on November 24, 2020. The MCA’s resolution noted that many of the proposed zoning amendments “would significantly impact the physical appearance and quality of life in McLean and in the other portions of the County.”
The MCA resolution expressed its support for some of the proposed amendments to modernize permitted uses to address activities such as solar power facilities, electric vehicle charging and data centers, and to make the Ordinance easier to understand and more user friendly. However, the MCA also expressed opposition to a number of proposed changes including: (1) expansion of Accessory Living Units (ALUs) and elimination of public notice of proposed ALU development; (2) expansion of home based businesses and commercial signage in residential districts; and (3) permitting by-right construction of larger and higher freestanding accessory structures on residential properties. The MCA resolution also urged additional restrictions on storage of vehicles in residential areas.
To see the MCA resolution, please click the following link: MCA Resolution on Zoning Ord Modification - Approved 6-Jan-2021. To see the Fairfax County’s proposed zMOD amendments, please click here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/zmod.